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Kaiser strike enters 3rd and final day but sides are still far apart

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

A planned three-day strike by Kaiser Permanente health care employees comes to an end Friday but an agreement between union leaders and the healthcare provider is nowhere in sight.Kaiser workers across California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington walked off the job Wednesday demanding better pay and work conditions. That was also the last day of negotiations between the two sides, where Kaiser Permanente apparently agreed for the first time to wage increases across the board but it was not enough.Kaiser Permanente health care employees, joind by Union members representing workers, walk the picket line in Los Angeles during the second day of their strike on October 5, 2023. (Frederic J. BROWN / AFP)The coalition of unions representing health care workers felt the raise was not substantial enough. There are other issues as well, such as short staffing that need to be addressed.“It’s really hard to provide the quality care that the patients deserve when frontline workers are burned out ...

Mystery objects falling from the California sky may be spider 'balloons'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

California residents submitted photographs and videos to Nexstar's KRON this week of mysterious objects falling on their neighborhoods. Morgan Hill resident Gina Watson shot images of strange, white webby objects that fell "from my house all the way to work," she said.John E. Banks, an environmental sciences professor at California State University Monterey Bay, said the objects are likely silky webs created by spiders that are ballooning. "No one has definitively figured out what they are, but they appear to be spider silk," Banks told KRON.(Photo by Gina Watson)Spiders spin out long lines of silk in a phenomenon called ballooning. Several spider species use ballooning to blow in the breeze from one habitat to another, Banks said. A spider will weave its own parachute, or "balloon," and drift through the sky with help from the wind, he explained. The New York Times reported that spider silk is so thin and light that air is like a "thick fluid" in comparison. "The effect o...

3 California cities ranked among top 10 'Foodie Cities' in U.S.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

Whether you’re dining out or cooking at home, California is good place to be a “foodie,” according to a new study.WalletHub, the personal finance website, has ranked over 180 of America’s most populous cities in order of “foodie-friendliness” based on a smorgasbord of metrics related to accessibility, diversity and quality. Each city was also graded on the overall affordability of its dining options and groceries, to present a list that highlights not just the tastiest but also the cheapest “Foodie Cities in America,” according to WalletHub.At the top of the list, perhaps surprisingly, is Orlando, Florida, which ranked high in terms of accessibility, diversity, and quality thanks to its large number of well-reviewed restaurants, ice cream parlors, coffee shops and specialty food stores. The city, however, did not score so high in terms of affordability (ranking #108 out of 182 total cities studied), bringing its weighted average score down to 69.38 out of a possible 100.Still, Orlan...

Pixel has wild new way to get perfect group pics

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

Google's new Pixel smartphones are even better at making your phones look great. The latest Pixel 8 models employ some AI photo editing tools that ride the line of helpful yet wildly creepy.I was at the launch event in New York City where the company got on stage to show off the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. While Pixel phones have always been known for taking great pictures, this time around there's an even bigger emphasis on AI to help make them look even better.The new phones are slightly smaller in the hand, making them much easier to hold, especially the Pro model. They have brighter screens and better camera setups, especially improved on the Pro model.We're seeing a trend among the big three tech companies - Apple, Samsung and Google - of putting their absolute best specs in their top-of-the-line phones. Users can no longer get the smaller size phone and still enjoy the best features.These phones have AI overload - from a smarter Google Assistant to smarter spam call screening."Wh...

Can CBD Take Aloe to Another Level?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

Read the original article about CBD and Aloe Vera here.The gooey gel from the aloe vera plant is one of the oldest & most widely-used remedies for skin conditions. Pretty much every skincare product designed to soothe redness, itchiness, or cuts will likely have a significant trace of aloe vera in it. And it’s not just dermatologists that have used aloe vera in their practice. There’s emerging evidence that aloe vera may also benefit gut and gum health.Although aloe vera has a long reputation for healing the body, hemp-extracted CBD has quickly ascended the ranks in the skincare space. Indeed, many skincare manufacturers have now begun adding CBD to their aloe formulations. Although CBD topicals don’t have the long track record of aloe vera products, many customers claim CBD may bolster aloe’s effectiveness.How Could CBD Make Aloe Vera Better?Studies worldwide suggest CBD shares many of aloe vera’s positive traits. Most significantly, CBD seems to have anti-inflammatory properti...

Mortgage rates hit 23-year high as Fed plays ‘Grinch’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

“Memory Lane” takes a stroll through financial history because the economy has a funny habit of repeating itself.Buzz: Mortgage rates have surged to their highest level since 2000 – with hints they’ll go higher – as the Federal Reserve plays housing’s “Grinch” to cool the economy.Source: My trusty spreadsheet looked at the rates on the average 30-year fixed mortgage from a survey by Freddie Mac. To help explain home loan swings, I compared rates with the Consumer Price Index’s inflation rate.Numbers: The average 30-year mortgage rate was 7.49% for the week, up from 7.31% a week ago and the eighth consecutive week above 7%. The last time it was higher was November 2000.How much does that jump hurt house-hunting? A borrower seeking $600,000 today would have a $4,191 house payment at current rates, up 9% from financing costs at the 6.66% rate in October 2022 and up a stunning 66% from the 2.99% rate in October 2021.How long ago?Let’s jar ...

Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival 2023: Your guide to food, fun, arts, music

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

Every October, the world’s pumpkin capital, Half Moon Bay, invites folks to help them celebrate the area’s agricultural bounty. And California residents come by the thousands for the food, the contests, the parade, the music and the arts and crafts.Here’s the lowdown on this month’s 51st annual Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival and all the free fun:BASICS: The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 15, along Main Street, between Mill and Spruce streets. Admission is free. Pets aren’t allowed. Details: http://pumpkinfest.miramarevents.comTravis Gienger rides with his winning 2,560-pound pumpkin during the 2022 Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Karl Mondon — staff archivesTHE WEIGH-IN: Not you, the gourds! Will any pumpkin grower be able to beat last year’s record-setting entry of 2,560 pounds from Minnesota’s Travis Gienger? The sponsor of the annual weigh-in, Safeway, wil...

Hiking the hidden stairs of Berkeley is maddening, painful and utterly gorgeous

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

Every now and then, you wake up and think, “I want to do a hike. But I don’t want a hike that’s exactly fun, or easy – I want one that will make me curse my decision with each plodding footfall, but that I’ll look back upon with self-inflicted amnesia as a rewarding use of time.”Folks, here’s one such hike. In the hills of the East Bay lies an intricate network of stairways and paths known locally as the “secret” or “hidden” stairs. They supposedly number in the hundreds, some having been constructed as shortcuts down to old Key System streetcars and others who-knows-why.There are many ways to explore them – if you’re a fan of architecture and nature, check out our guide to the historic stairs and fire trails behind UC Berkeley – but today we’re focusing on the neighborhood roughly between the Berkeley Rose Garden and Lake Anza. It is extremely hilly terrain with incredible views of the open Bay. Wild turkeys ro...

Reader shares story of crash far from home, advice to prepare: Roadshow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

Q: I have a story about dealing with an accident away from home.While driving Interstate 80 in Fairfield, I was sideswiped by a driver trying to avoid colliding with a car it was tailgating. After impact, the driver accelerated toward a nearby exit and disappeared before I could note identifying information.With significant damage to my vehicle, I drove slowly to a relatively safe place off the road. While I was deciding whether to call 911 or AAA, the Freeway Service Patrol came by and towed my vehicle to a location just off the freeway.Next, I had to decide whether to leave the car in that area to get it fixed and get home by ride share or a rental car, or to have the car towed home at considerable expense. I opted for the tow.While waiting for AAA to call me back, I tried contacting my insurance company, was placed on a long hold and disconnected when AAA called me back. It took five hours for the tow to arrive. Fortunately, when I placed a claim with State Farm, I was told that ...

Stock market today: Wall Street opens lower as a hot jobs report fans inflation worries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Worries about a too-hot job market are sending Wall Street lower, keeping stocks on track to close out a fifth straight losing week. The S&P 500 was 0.6% lower in early trading Friday. The Dow fell 138 points and the Nasdaq composite was down 0.7%. Once again, it was rising yields in the bond market driving down stocks. Yields rallied after a report said U.S. employers added nearly twice as many jobs last month as economists expected. Average wages rose at a slower rate than economists expected, however, which could remove some inclination by companies to raise their prices.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street quickly reversed course Friday after the government reported twice as many job gains as expected, Futures for the Dow fell 1.1% and futures for the S&P 500 tumbled 0.9% before the bell.The Labor Department reported Friday that U.S. employers added 336,000 jobs in September more than double the 163,000 analysts wer...